Student Spotlight

Mallory Anderson

Internship: Bloomington Police Department

What’s your major and minor?
Criminology major and Sociology minor

Where was your internship placement? (What is the purpose of the organization?)
My internship placement was with The Bloomington Police Department. The purpose of this organization is to provide law enforcement to the citizens of Bloomington, Minnesota. They protect and serve the community.

What did your general duties involve?
My general duties changed within the agency each week. I was involved in: participating in patrol ride-a-longs, assisting with data entry in property room and entering evidence and destroying evidence in Tracker system, assisting investigators in daily tasks, assisting reception and front desk tasks, assisting clerical with filing, citations, and reports, participating in Protect crime prevention program, observing the traffic unit and their duties, observing dispatch and their duties, observing Mall of America Police Unit, participating in National Night Out events, participating and observing Bomb Squad exercises and participating and observing the K9 Unit.

What was your most memorable experience?
My most memorable experience was definitely when I participated in the patrol ride-a-longs. Some of the many experiences I will never forget is being a part of a suicide investigation and viewing the body, being a part of two K9 perimeters, and a stolen vehicle at gunpoint. Each of these experiences taught me different Police tactics within different situations and strength.

Has your internship influenced your career path?
Very much so! I am definitely more law enforcement focused then I was before completing my degree. I will be enrolling in Police skills in less then a year to pursue being a Police Officer. My internship experience was amazing and was definitely more rewarding than I ever thought initially going into it. Make sure you pick something you are truly dedicated to when completing your internship and you will take away a lot from it, just like I did!